


I Want to Make You as Lonely as Me

by punk_circle_pc



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe, Apocalypse, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 14:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7108516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_circle_pc/pseuds/punk_circle_pc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone was just gone. He had no clue where they went, or why he was left here to rot by himself. An apocalypse, if you will.</p><p>But, Frank managed to stay alive this long.</p><p>And for the first time in six years he didn't feel crippling loneliness anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I plan to finish this, but it might be a while. Just wanted to see if anyone was interested in this.
> 
> Title is from Pavlove by Fall Out Boy.

The house was strangely quiet when Frank woke up that morning. He laid in bed for a few minutes before he realized it was later than he thought, jumping out of bed and getting ready for school faster than he ever had. "Mom, I'm leaving!" He called. He didn't get an answer. He figured she was sleeping or something. 

He went off to school on his bike, pedaling slowly through sleepiness. He chained his bike to the rack, and walked in through the doors and to his class. There wasn't anyone in the halls, so he figured he was late and cursed himself. He quietly opened the door to his classroom, looking around to make sure no one saw him enter. No one did. Mostly because no one was there.

Frank was confused. He looked all around the classroom, but there was no one in sight. He went to the office, to see where his class had went, but no one was there either. He ran all over the school trying to figure out where everyone had gone. Literally no one was at his school that day.

He decided to go home. No one was there to stop him, so he cycled down the road back to his house. He noticed there were no cars on the road, and knew that something wasn't right. He set his bike aside and ran into his house, screaming for his parents. He still got no answer. Both of their cars were in the driveway, but they weren't there. 

Frank became frantic. He ran outside, he knocked on all his neighbors' doors, he screamed at the top of his lungs, but everything was silent.

He recalls that that's the first time that peace and quiet wasn't welcome in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

Frank shivered as he walked back from the dock, rubbing at his arms and pulling his hat down further on his face. He hadn't caught anything, but then again he was only out for about an hour. It was getting dark, and he would need to be back before he wouldn't be able to see anything. He noticed that there were weeds growing through the street again, and made a mental note to take care of it within the next few days. 

The sun was just under the horizon as he walked through he door, closing and locking it behind him. It wouldn't do too much if there were anyone around, that much he knew, but it was better to be safe than sorry; it also gave him an odd sense of security. He shoved his fishing pole aside and rummaged through his cabinets, wondering what he would eat that night. He liked the illusion that he had a choice, when in reality he had the cans lined up by expiration date. Next up was instant Mac and cheese and peas; he cringed at the thought of shoveling peas into his mouth and grabbed the bottle of ketchup he opened yesterday. If he smothered what he didn't like in the condiment, then he wouldn't have to puke at the taste.

He went out the back door and to his fire pit, lighting a match and starting a small fire. He put the grate over the fire and put the peas into a pot and set it over the fire, doing the same with the Mac and cheese, adding a little water from a new bottle. He ran inside to grab his coat and came back out to sit by the fire, letting his feet rest on the rocks and get warm. After a few minutes he grabbed the pot, mixed the ketchup with the peas and ate as quickly as he could. They tasted horrible, but he wasn't hungry afterwards so he counted it as a win. He finished off his water on the fire and went inside, locking the back door as well before heading off to his bedroom. He decided to write down the events of the day: rummaged 256; rummaged 258; fished. He had moved around a lot that day.

~

Frank jumped awake, breathing heavily and sweating. He didn't know what he was dreaming about, but he knew he had woken up from a nightmare. He could hear the heavy rainfall on the roof, and when he looked out the window it was still dark. He contemplated going back to sleep, but decided to get up and start on his breakfast. He couldn't make anything with heat, since it was raining outside and he wouldn't be able to start a fire. He settled for tuna, thinking it wouldn't be too bad to eat straight out of the can. 

He grabbed two, draining them and venturing into the basement, partially because he was bored and partially because he felt safer with the cover of being half way underground. He decided he would check up on how much stuff he had, and what he needed. Maybe when it stopped raining he could ransack the local Walmart for the umpteenth time, grabbing more of what he needed. He scanned the list taped to the wall of what he should always have enough of, absentmindedly snacking on tuna. First aid, some simple tools in case anything needed fixing, matches. He had tons of matches. 

Frank wondered if he should venture out as far as the other side of town, where a second plaza containing a second Walmart sat. He figured that he could do it tomorrow, or whenever the next dry day was. He grabbed his good backpack from the shelf and started to shove some stuff in it. He knew he would have to leave room, and even shoved a second sack in his bag for anything he would take from the stores. 

When he went back upstairs carrying his bag he noticed it was light outside, though it was still drizzling and he could hear the occasional rumble of thunder. Now would be the time to look at his food stock and try to see what he could pick up if the second Walmart had any food that would be edible still. He grabbed the survival book out of the living room and peered through the foods that had the longest shelf life. He didn't have any honey, he could look for some more beans, vinegar and sugar. 

He sat on his kitchen floor flipping through the beaten book. He had plucked it from the library a few years back, assuming that it wouldn't be missed if no one was there to miss it. He reread the parts about what to do if injured, where to find basic necessities and whatnot. He figured it couldn't hurt. Hell, maybe he would take the book with him on his trip across town. 

He wrote down all the stuff he would need to look for in the plaza. Food items, maybe more nails, extra bait and lures for fishing. Maybe he would get a gun; he figured it wouldn't hurt to be extra safe. He'd heard some strange noises at night coming from the woods a few yards away from his house, and wondered if he would be safe going so far away from the familiarity of where he lived. He made a mental note to grab the axe sitting beside the front door before he left. He added weapons to his list. This trip would be worth it, whether he came back with goods or not. At least after this trip he would know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have one more chapter written but I want to finish the next one before posting it.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning was dry and clear; hell, it was even a little warm for this time of year. Frank grabbed his bag and went through the mental checklist of everything he had and needed. This trip would take all day, and he had grabbed a jar of peanut butter, some spam, vegetable soup with a peel back top, and lots of water. He took the water out of his bag and put it in the little sack attached to the back of his bike; it greatly improved the weight of his backpack. He checked the tire pressure on his bike and thought to grab the tiny pump, just in case, and then his bag was full. 

He grabbed the axe and strapped it to his bike as well, then opened his front door and locked it behind him, making sure his key worked one last time before heading off. It was very early in the morning, the sun wasn't over the horizon yet, and he set off down the road toward the center of his town. He hadn't gone through these houses yet, at least after a few yards of road, and made sure to pedal faster through the stretch of road surrounded by woods. The street was getting a little overgrown here, but it wasn't too bad. He could still make out the concrete and where it was cracked in places. 

In no time he was at his own plaza. He glanced at the sky and noticed the sun was out now, but he hadn't taken too long. It was probably around the same distance to the other side of town. He stopped for a second to take in the little strip; he hadn't been out this far in a while now. He was startled at the medium sized rodent going through the trash littering the sidewalk, but figured it wouldn't be too much of a threat. It was a fair distance away. The biggest threat that he has yet to come across is snakes, or black bears. He really hoped that he wouldn't have to come across either of them during his trip. 

Frank had a tough time remembering the easiest way to get across town; he remembered going there with his mom as a kid, to the clothing stores they would shop at. The interstate was littered with cars and some trash and plants starting to grow. He rode down the middle, glancing at old stop lights and abandoned buildings along the side of the highway. He rationed that it was a good sign when he came across a sign for the plaza: Walmart, Target, Sears, Taco Bell. He felt a little sad at the Taco Bell sign.

He stopped outside of the revolving Walmart doors. There was a glass panel missing, covered by a plywood board. Something about it didn't sit right with Frank. He tried pushing it, moving it to the side with ease and letting it fall back down. He took out his flash light and pushed his bike through the opening then followed suit. The first thing he noticed was a sign post right in the middle of the entryway, a note taped to the front. Frank knew something wasn't right here. 

The note read: "if you're reading this, I come in every night before sun down. I'd be happy to meet you. This building is secure." Frank contemplated staying that late. He didn't pack extra food for staying overnight at this Walmart, though he figured the store would have something edible. He contemplated hard; this guy could be here to kill him, he could be dead, he could be long gone. He thought it was worth the risk to stay and find out, though.

The store had some natural light pouring in through the little sunroofs scattered over the ceiling every few feet. Frank rode his bike through the isles, looking for the outdoor living section. He picked up fake worms in a package, new hooks, and a fancy new lure, throwing them in the tiny cart attached to his handlebars. He rode through the section, eventually coming across the rifles neatly placed in the glass box. Of course it was locked, but he placed his bike off to the side and blocked his face before breaking the glass with his axe. He thought about taking the pink one, but figured that would be unfortunate if he ever needed to hide. He looked in the drawers of the cashiers little post and found a manual for how to operate the gun. He also found some interesting pocket knives in the front shelves and took the one with skulls on it. Even if no one was around to see how cool it was it was still something Frank could appreciate.

He grabbed the first gun he saw and checked to make sure it wasn't loaded. Of course it wasn't, but he just wanted to make sure. He strolled through the surrounding isles to try and find ammunition for the gun, and eventually found a few boxes of shells for the weapon. He shoved them in his backpack and would figure it out later. The gun wasn't loaded so he didn't have to worry about placement and strapped into his back. 

He made his way to food, ripping open some boxes on shelves to find most of the rotten food, as he expected. He did come across some granola bars that were good, and threw all the boxes he could fit on his person in his backpack and cart and sack on his bike. He took out a bottle of water and the spam and had his snack, leaving a little more room for other things. He found honey, vinegar (which he put into empty water bottles, making a note to sniff them and not mistake them for water) and didn't stop when he rode past the bakery. He didn't want to see the sad rotting cakes and donuts sitting in that section. He passed necessities like toilet paper at one point and forgot to check his house for a stock of it. He grabbed some just in case. He opened a tube of toothpaste and tried some, deeming it good enough and throwing it in the cart as well.

He went to the craft section and picked up duck tape, making sure it was bland colors like brown and black. Thought he liked colors, neutral would be better in the long run. While he was still in the store he decided to look at clothes. The summer selection was still hanging around the store, which was a bummer. It was winter at the moment. He did switch out his somewhat torn up converse for a new pair, placing them in the basket and putting on steel toe boots. Those would be better for him at the moment.

He emerged from the broken store door and saw that it was a little past mid day. He still had time to look through the Sears for nails and whatever else he might need. He had to pry the doors open with a wedge of wood he found on the ground, but eventually he got in. The hardware store was full of wood and paint and still smelled of rubber, like he remembered hardware stores did. He had a little room left over for a few cans of spray paint and a mask, because he figured he would have a little fun while he could. He came out from the Sears and made his way back across the strip to the Walmart to wait for the strange man to come and greet him. He wondered if it could be a woman. He didn't know what to expect. 

He browsed through the magazines sitting at the check out lines. The covers were full of people he didn't recognize. He saw the drink coolers full of soda and coffee and energy drinks, all of which he missed. He didn't want to risk trying to drink any of it though. There was a small row of shelves next to the checkout full of things that were labeled "as seen on TV". There were things like bottles and weird wrist bracelets and a bunch of useless things Frank didn't understand. He wondered why people would even need those things. 

He decided he would just wait next to the sign, leaning against the wall and taking out the peanut butter and a few of the granola bars he got. He dipped the granola bars in the peanut butter and concluded that it was the best thing he had eaten in a long time.

Frank didn't realize that he was asleep until he was startled awake but the shifting of the board covering the door opening. He jumped to his feet, staring at the man standing before him. The man was by far taller than him, curls framing his head and face rosy from the cold outside. Both of the boys were silent for a short while, until Frank stupidly said, "Hi."

"Hi," the man replied, stepping foreword and putting out his hand. Frank shook it and it was cold. "I'm Ray," the man said.

"Frank." He replied, shaking his hand and taking everything in. For the longest time he though he was the last guy left on earth, but six years later he found out he wasn't. "Man, I'm relieved to find you." Frank confessed. "And right across town, Jesus." 

"Yeah, I feel you." Ray replied, running his hands through his hair. "So, it's gonna be dark soon, we could meet here tomorrow earlier?" Ray asked.

"Actually, it's kind of a long ride home. You wrote this building is secure, though?" Frank asked. "I was thinking I could just stay here." 

"I mean, you could." He said. Ray looked over Franks bike. "You got a lot of stuff there." He pointed out.

"Yeah, supply run across town to see if there was anything better." Frank paused. "Guess it was for the better." He motioned to Ray in front of him.

"Yeah." There was an awkward silence. "I could stay here too if you want." He offered.

"If you're up for it." Frank replied.

So they both stayed in the Walmart over night. While there was still a little light they set up tents, getting a bunch of blankets and pillows and getting comfortable. Ray had to hunt down his own flashlight and batteries, but they eventually got settled and went to sleep for the night. They talked through the silence about how they would stick together from now on. They would pick one of their houses and stay there. 

For the first time in six years Frank didn't feel crippling loneliness.


	4. Chapter 4

Frank woke up to the sound of Ray rustling around on the floor next to him. It was light outside, and Frank felt like he hadn't gotten any sleep at all, though he knew that wasn't the case. He drifted in and out of sleep for a while, and by the time he sat up, Ray wasn't next to him on his pile of blankets like he was before. Frank rubbed the sleep from his eyes, pushed his hair behind his ears and yawned, stretching one last time before he stood up and wandered around the store some more. 

Frank found Ray in the outdoors section, grabbing packages off of their hooks. Frank made sure to make his footfalls loud, so he wouldn't scare Ray as he approached to see what he was doing. They were nonperishable military style meals. Frank felt dumb for not thinking about that before. 

"This is the last of these," Ray told him. "I've been living off of them for a while." Frank noticed there were things like beef stroganoff, soups, and other foods that Frank hadn't eaten since before everyone disappeared; there were happy people sitting in front of a tent on the packages. 

They were silent for a couple seconds, and Ray turned to leave the isle after briefly checking over everything else. "Did you have a family, Ray?" Frank asked.

"Yeah. I had two brothers." 

"I'm an only child." He said. Ray was silent. Frank figured it was a touchy subject for him. 

"So," Ray started, "are we going to find a house to live in? Do you want to live in mine or..." Ray asked. 

"I dunno. I've been keeping mine in pretty good shape. I live by the pier." Frank informed him.

"I've been keeping mine in shape too. But I guess living by the ocean helps," Ray said. They agreed to stop by Ray's house before stationing themselves at Frank's, and they left when the sun was basically right above them in the sky. It was chilly outside, so Frank found one of the only long sleeved hoodies in the whole store since he forgot his jacket, and they set off towards Ray's house.

Ray had a bike, too, fortunately, and he led the way on cracked asphalt and over undergrowth to his house. It was a short, maybe five-minute bike ride to Ray's house; it was slightly bigger than Frank's own house, a couple shutters only hanging on by one nail. The door was secure, though, and the house was still around them as they entered. His house was split-level, and Ray made his way down the stairs to the basement. 

There was a room to the right at the bottom of the stairs, which was Ray's apparently, and it was covered in Iron Maiden posters and had black-out curtains blocking all of the light. Ray pulled them open, grabbing a few small items and stuffing them in a bag. Ray stopped and stared at his acoustic guitar in the corner. He looked at Frank, then back at the guitar, hesitating before grabbing it and strapping it to his back. The boys smiled at each other before Ray led the way to the upper level of the house. 

Family pictures adorned the walls, but so did lists written on lined paper and there were books scattered on most of the surfaces of the kitchen. Frank picked up a picture of Ray's family; he could tell Ray was in the center, maybe in his early teens, his brothers on either side and his parents in the back. They all had the same contagious, glowing smile. Frank immediately felt sad, missing his own mother and father, even though his dad was hard on him at times. He knew that he loved him, though.

Ray came out from the hallway with a second bag, grabbing the picture from Frank's hands and smiling at it. He stowed it away in his back pack and struggled to find a place for both of his bags and his guitar. He made it work, letting he guitar rest atop one of he bags, and turned to look at Frank. "I'm ready to go." He didn't look ready, glancing around the room and not heading towards the door. Frank decided he would lead the way, going down the stairs to the door. Ray followed him out, closing the door behind him and taking one last look at the outside of his house.

Frank waited on is bike until Ray was ready. He placed a hand on his mailbox as he passed, wiping the dirt on his jeans and mounting his bike. 

Frank let Ray lead them to the Walmart, but then Frank took over until they reached the cracked and weed-infested road leading to his own house. Ray didn't say anything as he unlocked the door, set his bags down on the couch and took his shoes off. Ray did the same, leaving his shoes at the door and setting his guitar down against the wall. "Let me show you around," Frank said, leading his way from the living room down the hallway. He entered his own room, his bed and floors a mess with papers and posters on his walls as well. 

"This is my room," Frank said, giving Ray a minute to look before leading the way to his parents room. He opened the door and let Ray in; the bed was made and all the surfaces were a little dusty. "You can sleep here." Ray nodded and took his bags off, placing them gently on the bed. "Okay, let me show you downstairs." Frank went through the kitchen to the basement door, grabbing the flashlight from the big flashlight on his way down. There was some light pouring through the small window and the window on the basement door, but not much, so Frank turned on the flashlight and shined it around the one-room basement. 

"I like to come down here when it storms," Frank admitted. There was a couch on one wall and shelves on the other, Franks list of necessities hanging on the wall next to the door. They stood there for a minute before Frank went back upstairs, and Ray followed him. Frank grabbed his bags and started arranging the food in the cabinets above the counters, making sure to do it by expiration date. Ray was browsing through the other cabinets, finding bowls and plates and pots and pans. He retrieved his own bag carrying the food and set out the packages he had for Frank to organize with the rest of the food.

They eventually sat at the small round kitchen table and opened a new box of the granola bars Frank found, as well as the peanut butter that was barely edible still. Frank decided it was his new favorite thing. 

"How do you feel about traveling?" Ray asked. Frank had never really though about leaving his town before. 

"I don't know," Frank said. Ray pulled a map of New Jersey from his backpack, sprawling it out on the table. It had all of the major highways listed and a couple landmarks here and there. 

"I mean, this one area can't sustain us forever," Ray said. He was right. 

"I mean, I have always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty," Frank said. Ray nodded in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time but I'm trying to pick up again.

**Author's Note:**

> I appreciate constructive criticism and your opinion of the fanfic, thanks.


End file.
